


The world about to dawn

by Controversy



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-20
Updated: 2013-11-23
Packaged: 2018-01-02 04:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1052630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Controversy/pseuds/Controversy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>alternative ending, with the Revolution ending with a success of the Revolutionaries.<br/>I wrote this because I was having a depression after finishing Hugo's book, and I am not claiming any of this is realistic. It's not really MEANT to be realistic.<br/>Enjoy ^^</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

\- Is it over? – Grantaire was visibly confused. – What are those solders doing here? Weren’t they supposed to be on the other side of the barricade, we on ours, shooting at each other, killing, blood and rape and tragedy? What the hell is going on, don’t tell me I slept over the Revolution??  
It really was a surprising view. Enjolras had an angelic smile on his face which had already come back to how it usually looked, losing the expression of the revolutionary for freedom that it had when Grantaire was drunk and almost asleep. This view forced him to spend quite a few minutes trying to control his own thoughts. And his face which was probably showing everything that he usually wanted to cover under the mask of irony and skepticism. Luckily for him, all the Barricade Boys were cheering and drinking wine with the boys from the French Army and no one noticed the change. When he got over the amazement for Enjolras, he came back to asking himself, what the hell happened when he was sleeping?  
He noticed Gavroche running out of the medical point, his left hand partly covered with bandages. A moment later, a doctor came running after him, shouting:  
\- You have to stay and wait for the stitches to heal you little…  
\- No way! – Gavroche laughed proudly and started shouting in a tone that resembled singing to an improvised melody – partly to himself, partly to the doctor, partly to the boys at the barricade, and probably partly to the birds that were coming back to the centre of Paris, having escaped fearing the battle – This is why we won the bloody revolution, you old Monsieur I’m-a-doctor-do-what-I-say!! This is the liberty to run away from the old doctors who want to keep us in bed when there’s a party all around Paris and the Revolution is won and we’re in history! No one will tell me what to do, I’m a revolutionary solider now and I won’t listen to anyone!  
\- You’re a solder now, you will listen to your commander who tells you to go back and let the doctor help your wound, little hero – said Enjolras, pretending he has a serious face, but in reality, being at the top of happiness seeing Gavroche running around again. They feared that wound would be too serious to heal, but apparently the brave solder of the barricade was going to be ok. If it wasn’t for his sacrifice, they would have lost, everyone knew that.  
Gavroche was wondering which tricks to use to stay outside, when he heard a voice coming from the hospital entrance.  
\- Gavroche, come back immediately! – a young girl shouted, holding her hand to her chest where a wound was bandaged, the other hand hanging on her side, apparently wounded too. She was visibly in pain, but undoubtedly alive and happy.  
\- But Eponine! – Gavroche made a sad face, the last try to convince everyone to let him run around and sing revolutionary songs and inform all Paris and everyone in this part of France that the Barricade didn’t fall and that the army and most of the people in Paris joined the side of the revolutionaries.  
\- Hey, little hero, maybe I’ll go there with you? – Bahorel winked to the boy who immediately ran to him and caught his hand, his eyes sparkling with pride that he has a friend from among the “adult” revolutionaries – I’m telling you, scars are great when it comes to girls, in a few years they will adore you when you tell them you fought for equality. But they have to heal first, unless you want your scar to be ugly and unhealed forever? You don’t, do you? No one would like that, especially not a girl. Now, if you’re nice to the doctor and let him help you, I’ll tell you how to talk to girls, want that?  
\- Wow, that would be awesome! – Gavroche completely forgot his wound and his willingness to stay outside, happy to spend some time with Bahorel, whom he started admiring even before they built the barricade.  
Grantaire was becoming more and more curiously angry, which was probably connected with his headache caused by the fact that last night at the barricade he was really drunk. Finally he decided to approach a small group of laughing boys, Combeferre among them, asking for explanations and complaining over the headache. One of the army boys answered:  
\- We didn’t really know what was going on, we were only told that there were some revolutionaries trying to overthrow the government and we were supposed to fight with you. They also told us that you would be easy to win, with no skills of fighting or any reasonable plan. But then, our commanders started getting confused. We used one of such moments to run away. We realized that you’re on the right side of history and if we stay where we were, we would make a mistake. I must say this friend of yours, Jehan, helped. He explained everything to us. And he told us some of his poems. We were simply supposed to guard him when he was taken as a prisoner – and he opened our eyes.  
Grantaire, busy trying to understand what actually happened, didn’t notice the reaction of Combeferre. The very moment Jehan’s name was mentioned, his eyes opened wider, sadness on the verge of pain visible deep inside them. He realized what he forgot when the army came to the side of the Barricade. Jehan was their prisoner. They had killed him. Jehan was dead. They heard him screaming and a gun shooting. He would never see the sun of the revolution.  
His face turned completely white. The solder who was speaking fell silent trying to read the expression in the eyes of Combeferre. Suddenly, the guide of the barricade, one of the leaders, fell tears coming into his eyes. He forgot. How could he? He asked himself. He fell hopelessly on his knees, whispering Jehan’s name to himself. When Grantaire realized that something was going on, Courfeyrac was already with him, his hands on Combeferre’s shoulders, trying to comfort Combeferre. He was almost crying. The rest of les Amis de l’ABC gathered around, the happiness of victory suddenly darkened by the death of a friend. And what they didn’t understand at all was the lack of guilt of the solders. They were only confused with Combeferre’s reaction. Finally one of them understood.  
\- You didn’t know! That stupid poet didn’t show up yet! No one probably told him the fight is over! Oh my god, now I see why you’re crying! You don’t have to, your friend is alive! He’s in a tavern at the back of our former positions. After he explained everything to us, they ordered us to kill him. We told him to shout really loud and we shot into the air. Than we told our commanders that we got rid of the body. And he’s still hidden there! I’ll go and help him out.  
\- But there’s no need to help me in any way, comrades! – they heard a voice from the other side of the Barricade. – I realized that the fight is over, I just wanted to check how much time will it take for my beloved friends to realize I’m not with them. I was there all the time, listening to you! And I wrote a new poem, you should definitely listen…  
He stopped talking when Combeferre ran to him, crying and hugged him, not letting go for a few minutes. Something in the way those two reacted to each other told everyone to give them a moment of privacy.  
\- Come on, we will talk to Jehan later, let’s give them a few minutes, those two obviously missed each other more than anyone of us – said Feuilly discretely and les Amis went inside to drink some wine, brought by someone after the fight stopped.  
They found a room which looked relatively safe from the danger of the roof falling on their heads and sat on the floor. Bossuet and Joly were holding hands. After Bahorel, Jehan and Combeferre joined them, Enjolras raised his glass and said:  
\- To the revolution! To les Amis de l’ABC! – smiling and causing Grantaire’s heart stop for a moment and start beating much faster than usual afterwards. The Leader had tears in his eyes and so had most of the boys. They fell silent, simply smiling to each other. They knew how lucky they were, not having lost a single person from among them. They changed the world.


	2. a few months later

Grantaire looked out of the window. The first snow this winter. He decided to consider it to be a sign to do something important that day. He needed one so he created one. And at some point he had to visit Enjolras. Why not today?  
A lot changed during those months. He barely noticed changes in the Government, apparently some of his friends were even given positions, taking care of the way France developed. He knew Enjolras had an office somewhere, taking care of the preparations to the law that would create popular education for everyone on the basic level. He didn’t see him from the day the Barricade won. Actually, most of the changes that bothered him were the changes within him. He managed to get rid of the alcohol addiction – he would still drink some absinthe or wine from time to time, but not getting drunk everyday like he used to, he found a job and decided to finish studying. He could be called a decent man now.  
The only person he had contact with, as far as Amis de l’ABC were concerned, was Bahorel. He told him everything, so Grantaire knew what was going on with his friends, not having to explain why he suddenly cares about other people. He knew that Bahorel let Gavroche and Eponine live in his place and helped them financially. She finally got over her love to Marius and, according to Bahorel, she was getting “dangerously close” to Courfeyrac. She was learning to sew and would soon get a decent job and Gavroche was attending Combeferre’s lessons where he taught poor children to read, write and count. Also from Bahorel, he knew that Feuilly was abroad, travelling around Europe and sharing the knowledge and revolutionary experience with the oppressed nations. Jehan published some of his poems and his career was looking promising. Marius was married and Cosette was pregnant. Also, Grantaire was surprised to find out about two new pairs among his friends. Legle and Joly were living together, which was not much of a surprise since Bossuet had been living at Joly’s before, but only after the Revolution they realized that friendship is not enough for them. Also, it turned out that Combeferre was with Jehan even before the Revolution, but they were fearing the reaction of the friends and didn’t come out until two weeks after the Barricade.  
Those two examples gave Grantaire the courage to wish – only wish because he never believed it would come true – that Enjolras would finally start liking him. That was one of the reasons he didn’t keep in touch with the rest of the boys – he didn’t want to see Enjolras. He feared he would do something stupid and destroy their relations even more. But now he decided that he can’t hide more. He needed to tell Enjolras what he felt – what he always felt for him, since he saw his face for the first time. He stood up, grabbed his coat and just walked out of the room, fearing that if he stays inside for another moment, he would never have the courage to do it.  
He was walking towards Enjolras’ office (he knew where it was from Bahorel) and his mind was completely blank. He wasn’t planning what he’d say because he knew it would not look like he predicted anyway. Most probably Enjolras would talk to him politely for a few minutes and tell him he was busy and didn’t have time. He would say he wanted to see Grantaire some other time. Grantaire would nod and they would never see each other again. Grantaire knew that. Enjolras was an important figure now, having lots of work and probably even more new friends, also on high positions. Why would he want to talk to his old friend? Grantaire couldn’t come up with valid reason.  
And still he had to do it.  
When he was crossing the river, he saw a strange scene. There were two men standing on the bridge, one of them, wearing a uniform of a police inspector, ready to jump into the water. The other man, whose hair was already white, but he looked strong for his age, was talking to him passionately, visibly convincing him to stay alive. Then he whispered something into the inspector’s ear. The man turned his head and caught the other’s arm. A moment later, he was standing safely on the bridge, looking at the other man with tears in his eyes. In the exact moment when Grantaire passed them, he heard the white-haired man saying: “I forgive you. You were only doing your work”. They shook hands and went away, each one facing the other side of the bridge. Something in their appearance told Grantaire they would never see each other again. What was strange in this scene was the calmness in which the inspector was leaving the bridge, the place where he was planning to die. The old man had tears in his eyes, but he was relieved of whatever he did wrong. Grantaire turned into another street and soon forgot about the scene, the strange inspector, and the man who saved him.  
Grantaire was approaching the office of Enjolras, more worried with every step. He didn’t know what to tell him, he didn’t know how he would react. But he knocked at the door with Enjolras’ name and position on it. The fear became too hard. He turned away. But then he heard the angelic voice, saying: “come in”. He couldn’t resist. He touched the door, breathed deeply and opened it. He saw Enjolras’ face smiling when he recognized him. And he couldn’t say a word. Luckily, Enjolras started the conversation.  
\- Grantaire! I haven’t seen you for ages! Where have you been?  
Enjolras stood up, came up to him and hugged him softly. Grantaire almost forgot why he came here. Such a reaction? That’s not what he was prepared for.  
\- I was… well, doing different things. How are you? How’s your new job?  
\- It’s wonderful… you know, finally I have a chance to change something. I feel I can help all those people who, educated, will see new opportunities of life… but why didn’t you come earlier? After the revolution, you disappeared somewhere, I only knew you stopped drinking, Bahorel told me, is it true?  
\- Yeah, I kind of managed to… get rid of the problem. I’ve changed.  
\- I can see. Well, since you haven’t come during all those months, I suppose you have a reason now? You need something?  
\- I was just… - there was no way anyone could realize what was happening in Grantaire’s head. Seeing Enjolras after so much time, happy, nicer to him than he had ever been… but still, Grantaire was panicking. He still wasn’t sure. But only one thing saved him – he realized he wouldn’t be able to come back here, if he run away this time. So this was his only chance. And he was going to use it.  
\- I just wanted to ask, - he continued, walking closer to Enjolras – if you would permit me to… - and he touched Enjolras’ hand. Enjolras looked at him surprised.  
\- You mean to tell me, that all that time, when you were coming to the les Amis meetings…  
\- All for you. You know I couldn’t care less about your ideals back then. But your ideals had one point that convinced me – they were yours. So I came to the meetings to drink and look at your face. And dreamt.   
There was a moment of silence. Grantaire looked away.  
\- I knew that, I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry. You’ll never see me again. Good luck.  
\- Wait – said Enjolras. He looked into Grantaire’s eyes.  
There was a strange war in his thoughts. He always considered himself to be too concerned about the Revolution to think about a relationship. Before June, he only had one lover – Liberty. But he knew that now, after the success of the revolution, his lover was satisfied. He realized he’s free from all the vows that he swore to himself. There were no more revolutions to come, no more fighting. He had to adjust himself to the new world. And if it gave him such an opportunity – why not to try? He gave up all his life before the Barricade. Now there was the time to live like others, love people instead of ideals, build his life on other foundations. All those thoughts ran through his mind in a few seconds, the longest seconds of Grantaire’s life. He smiled.  
\- You’re not going anywhere – he said, reaching Grantaire’s another hand and kissing him. Grantaire was shocked. But he kissed back. Maybe this revolution wasn’t such a bad idea? It gave him a chance to be with Enjolras. That was his own victory and he was going to be happy now. And he was not going to screw it up like all the other opportunities that he got from life. They were together, they were kissing. And that was all that mattered.


End file.
